A guarded ISIS/ISIL video recommendation

[John Kettler]

agusto separately posted an antiarmor clip from the below video, but there's much here of great value in the context of CMSF, over and above antiarmor warfare using everything from ATGMs down to HEAT grenades and satchel charges in close assault.

Naturally, IEDs feature in the most harrowing way. The nitty gritty of how the ISIS/ISIL fighters conduct MOUT is most interesting, too, such as creating a tiny opening in a wall corner, hosing down the interior through it (stick barrel in, pull trigger, swing back and forth), then by removing bricks, mouseholing the structure for full entry. Satchel charges, both issue type and improvised, feature prominently in MOUT, notably for dealing with pesky defenders behind those high residential walls with heavy gates. Roof walls are very tall, offering what appears to be tremendous protection.

Of particular note is the high density not merely of technicals, but technicals sporting single barrel 23mm AA guns and, more commonly, ZU-23s. I even saw a typical truck, not a pickup as for the usual technicals, armed with twin 40s! Technicals armed with either the Dushka or the KPVT were scarce. In looking at this enormous array of firepower, I now have some sense of how ISIS/ISIL has been able to wreak the havoc it has. The mobility and firepower are enormous, with most technicals able to kill everything up through an M113 or an armored Hummer with ease. There's much more I could describe, but this'll suffice to give a sense of the vid's useful contents. Okay. Snipers are in there, too.

For the modders, there's a wealth of terrain, outfits, gear, and many interesting vehicles. Also of note are the high auto densities in some of the footage. Iraqi cities are densely packed with vehicles of every sort. All in all, I think the vid gives a tremendous sense of Iraq as a place and those who dwell therein. The nature of battle damage, be it walls or AFVs may prove insight productive as well.

I call my recommendation "guarded" because there's a great deal in here that depicts plain murder, of the most awful sort, joyously depicted and glorified in: drive-by shootings of moving cars full of civilians; gunning down of burka clad women on the sidewalk. The ruthless hunting down and execution of even those who flee their bullet-riddled cars. The snatching and execution (sometimes by beheading mercifully for us not shown save as grisly aftermath), the shot in the back of the head for tied up kneeling prisoners. The ISIS/ISIL people also use laptop PCs loaded what seems to be a data base of officers and leaders under Saddam Hussein and the current government. Call what happens repeatedly as a result a strong argument for a low public profile! At least some elements of ISIS/ISIL are practically indistinguishable from US troops, right down to the Kevlar and M16s. I thought I saw NVGs, but the snatch teams were using LED flashlights on the bracket instead. Some of the footage covering these missions was shot through an image intensifier, though.

As bad as all that is, I was particularly disturbed by-through-the-scope (Aimpoint Red Dot sight) sniper fire sequences. Why was I disturbed? The sniper deliberately aimed to wound, so as to allow further shots before the kill shot. To me, it seemed to be a whole new level of cruelty. The executions at least were instantaneous.

And since it's a propaganda video, there's lots of stuff proclaiming the cause, recruiting, preaching in the mosque and such. Naturally, a certain religious exultation (last syllable rhymes with "car") permeated the vid--to the level of saturation bombardment!

Since the Moon might crash down on me for posting a link to this gory vid, I'll give enough info so those with the desire to see it on LiveLeak can find it.

ISIS propaganda (one hour)

Part of channel(s): Iraq (current event)

While we're at it, the ISIS/ISIL types seem to fall apart once captured. But Iraq's government will surely lose the propaganda war if it doesn't start shooting in Hi Def, as does the opposition.

Iraqi Army (ISOF) Capture ISIS / ISIL crying terrorists

Read more at ***REMOVED***

That same page has some good footage of Iraqi Special Forces in action. Their kit is distinctive, they carry M4s and AKs, wear body armor and in no way practice spray and pray. Watching them operate from substantial defenses is quite something to behold. They move quickly but purposefully, use terrain well, pop up, fire aimed shots in semiautomatic, then retire to full defilade. There's even a sniper in a ghillie suit the camera catches changing position!

Warning! Below the last two vids are some color pics small children definitely shouldn't see--nor anyone eating!

Regards,

John Kettler

[ZPB II]

I have to say I'm digging those Skeletor masks that Iraqi special forces seem to love.